What Is the Ideal Temperature for My AC in Central Florida?

If you’ve lived in Central Florida at any time, you understand that the climate is subtropic. It’s a humid area with over 50 inches of rain annually. Florida is known for its hot, humid, long summers, and frequent thunderstorms. The high moisture content in the air means the temperature can feel higher than it is. Humid air feels sticky and thick, making breathing increasingly difficult sometimes.

While the winters are generally mild, they can dip below freezing. Your home needs to keep you warm and safe — you can’t live in a screened-in bungalow and find consistent comfort in Florida temperatures.

The humidity and warmer climate of Central Florida can make keeping your home at a comfortable temperature a little tricky. Your HVAC system may need to work harder to keep your home cool and humidity-free. This cycle can use a lot of energy, causing utility bills to climb.

Living in discomfort or with high energy bills doesn’t have to happen. There are ways you can make your home comfortable and stay energy-efficient simultaneously.

Best AC Temperature for Your Home in Central Florida

To keep your Central Florida home comfortable during the warmer months, the best temperature to set your air conditioner to is 78 degrees. Seventy-eight degrees may seem warmer than you’d think for comfort since the national standard for room temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees.

It turns out that 78 degrees is the “magic number” for your thermostat in the summer. When you set your air conditioner to this temperature, you will still feel a difference between the air temperature in your home and the outside temperature. An even more significant change is the lower humidity level inside your home. Setting your indoor temperature to 78 degrees will still cause your air conditioning system to pull moisture out of the air.

If 78 degrees is too much of a climb to start, a degree or two will help. In some estimates, every degree warmer you set your thermostat in the summer will save you more than 1% energy savings over eight hours. Throughout the summer, that adds to significant energy and money savings!

Other Ways To Keep Your Central Florida Home Cool

Keeping your home at 78 degrees during our Central Florida summers doesn’t mean you need to be too warm in your home.

Here are some ways to cool your home:

• Install and use ceiling fans
• Close blinds and curtains during the warmest part of the day
• Make sure windows and doors don’t have drafts
• Cook outside on the grill
• Upgrade to LED bulbs
• Set the thermostat higher when you are not home

After a few days of living in your 78-degree home, your body will start to get used to the new temperature. Within two weeks of resetting the thermostat, your body should find the warmer temperature normal.

Keep Your AC Tuned

A regular maintenance schedule is essential for your air conditioning system to work efficiently all summer. Regular AC maintenance can help your air conditioning system last longer and require fewer repairs. The Jacob Heating & Air Conditioning professionals can maintain your system and check for leaks, worn parts, proper calibration, and optimize the efficiency of your air conditioner.

Schedule your maintenance appointment today — call (386) 337-3502 or contact us online.